The Legend of Zelda : Eternal Love (Zelink)
by Otionia
Summary: Link was born with being able to turn into a wolf whenever he wanted to. But the first time was to be unexpected... Link is enrolled in the Knight Academy and is given the job of guarding a Royal Hyrulian Ball, which is where the first catastrophe happens. What happens when the two of them realise that they are connected by the Triforce and start to fall for each other?
1. Prologue

**This is my first Fanfiction so I hope you'll enjoy it. I'll try and update every single week, but I might not always be capable of doing so.**  
**Please leave reviews in the comment section so I can improve my writing! Thank you!**  
**Some of the facts may be wrong because I've changed it around a bit. As in I might invent some new characters and places.**  
**This is a Zelink Fanfiction, so if you're not interested in a bit of romance, then don't keep reading.**  
**I'll also post this Fanfiction on Instagram if any of you are interested, my username is hyrule_story.**  
**I will probably describe Zelda and Link from Hyrule Warriors, but you can imagine they come from which ever game you want. I might add in extra stuff from other games like Link being able to turn into a wolf.**  
**I hope you enjoy reading it! :)**

The sun burned his skin and hurt his pale eyes. He always felt weak when exposed to too much light in his wolf form. Everything felt darker and his eyes grew pale, like the rest of his body. He felt the searing pain shoot up throughout his body as he moved about in the Red Sand. It had been named the Red Sand, not because it was red, but because as soon as something full of life made contact with it, the blazing sand would try and burn it to a crisp. He spotted dead trees and rocks lying on the ground, he badly wanted to join them. He couldn't though, he had to keep advancing, because he had made a promise to someone. He'd told them that he would find the jewel that the woman had been missing for years. That's what he spent his spare time doing when he wasn't training to be a Hyrulean Knight, he'd do everything in his power to aid the people who were in need of help or in distress.

When he was born, his parents hadn't wanted him, he'd been a mistake, extra work. His parents had wanted to get rid of him, they couldn't possibly kill him, because someone would have found out, they'd have been taken prisoners, put on trial and possibly killed. So instead, his parents had thrown him in Lake Hylia, not knowing that this specific lake had magical powers. The baby had floated around for a few days, whilst the Goddess had taken pity on the child and granted him the power of turning into a wolf whenever it pleased him. But the first time he changed would be unexpected. The Goddess had kept him well nourished and hydrated, waiting for a kind soul to pass by and adopt the child.

One fateful day, a pure soul had wandered towards Lake Hylia to wash his clothing. He'd noticed the basket and picked it up before it fell down a waterfall. He'd looked into the blanket and seen a baby boy, with a little ball of fluff, crying. The baby had grabbed the fluff from the air and had kept it. The man looked down at him and smiled, he looked around to see if anyone could be the possible parents of this little human being. There was no one but the two of them. The man had taken the baby home with him and had nourished and brought him up until the age of six.

One day, when the sun was high and the wind was warm, the man had gone out hunting with the boy. He'd decided that it was time to start teaching the child some of the helpful skills he would need later on. They'd gone to Faron Woods, where in those days, you wouldn't see a monster anywhere. They'd been there for about an hour when the child had finally understood how to hold a bow. But a few minutes went by and the air suddenly grew colder, the sky grew grey and and a mist passed over the woods.

Out of nowhere, a hideous beast jumped out of a nearby tree. The man had grabbed the boy by his little hand and they'd ran, ran out of the woods and into the clearing where they lived. They were close to the little wooden hut the man had built himself, when the monster grabbed the boy's hero. The man struggled against the hideous creature's grasp. It was no use. Barely any time had passed before the little boy heard a spine crack.

The boy started crying, he saw the monster leave as he ran over and crouched beside the dead man. He didn't know what to do. He had hope that his 'father' was still alive so he ran into the wooden hut and brought out a bandage. He came over to the man and tried to wrap his waist and back in the cloth. The poor boy had great difficulty in lifting the man up a tiny bit to wrap it round again. He was sobbing as he murmured into his idol's ears,

"I'm... Sorry... I - I - I couldn't help..." He wrapped his arms around the dead being and cried until he couldn't feel anything anymore. He sat next to the man who'd saved his life for a whole day before a woman came across the clearing. She yelped as she saw the curled up boy and the dead man. Her heart broke when she realised the boy was crying. She walked over to him and hugged him. She started whispering in a soothing voice, telling the little boy that everything was going to be alright, that she was going to bring him home to her and her husband. The boy told her he didn't have any parents, that this man wasn't even his real father. The lady picked him up, he was light because he'd been undernourished since they didn't have any money and the man had not been capable of hunting a lot. The woman felt the boy fall asleep as she brought him to her husband.

The boy lived happily with his new family for the next few years, until one day, he'd gone out and played with his 'sister' when he'd first turned into a wolf. They'd been playing catch when suddenly, he'd turned into a grey wolf. The girl had been so scared she'd fallen into the sea behind her. The wolf had jumped into the water to save her but she'd cracked her head open on a rock. The boy hadn't realised he'd turned into a wolf in all of his hurry. He'd thought she'd just tripped and fallen. After looking everywhere for the little girl, he'd swam back to shore and realised he'd turned into a wolf. He started running around wildly until somehow, he transformed back into his human self.

He looked back to sea, hoping that the girl would come back swimming but instead he saw her floating towards him, blood seeping into the water around her. He wiped the tears from his face as he grabbed the lifeless body. He was twelve now and had quite a bit of strength so he managed to carry her all the way home. He was miserable the entire way, not caring whether the two parents hated him forever. It was all his fault that she'd fallen off the cliff. He'd turned into a horrible wolf and had scared her. He pushed open the door to his home and saw his 'parents' at the table, talking joyfully. The woman screamed as she saw her daughter's limp body. She ran over and held her in her arms. Meanwhile, the man, who had never been very fond of the new arrival, slapped the young boy across the face. He was raging with anger and sadness from losing his one and only daughter.

The man started abusing the boy with his cruel words and his cruel movements. The boy was crying whilst the man's wife was telling him to stop. He was about to punch the boy with such force that he accidentally elbowed his wife in the face. She fell over and crushed a jar which happened to be on the carpet. She screamed as the shards blinded her. The bruised boy took this as an opportunity to escape. He knew if he stayed that he would be in danger, so he ran out and managed to change into his wolf form. He ran far away from the family that had all lost different things :  
The girl had lost her life.  
The woman had lost her daughter and her eyesight.  
The man had lost his daughter and his wife's love for him.

The boy ran for days without end, stopping now and again to feed himself and to keep himself hydrated. He came across Castle Town as he was running. He found it to be a peaceful place. Over the two years he'd been running, he'd learned how to control his wolf transformation. He moved into Castle Town. They let him stay here because he didn't cause any trouble and he loved to help the other villagers. He'd been given a little house with a garden to grow food. He was fourteen but no one minded the fact that he lived on his own. They could see that he'd been traumatised when he'd been younger. The only condition they had for him to move into Castle Town without any fees, was that he would be enrolled next year at the Knight Academy, at the age of fifteen. The boy had smiled for the first time in two years. He loved the thought of becoming a Knight and being given the honour of protecting the people of Hyrule.

There it was, the jewel. The wolf could see it out of the corner of his eye. He leapt forward and grabbed it with his mouth. As soon as he'd touched it, the sand around him turned into grass, the burning feeling he'd felt a few moments ago disappeared. He walked back to the boundaries of Hyrule. There he saw a few merchants who looked at him quizzically. He then realised that he was still in his wolf form. He jumped behind a bush and transformed into his human form. He walked over to the Castle Town entrance and smiled.  
This was his new life.  
He was the young man cursed with the power of being able to turn into a wolf. Sometimes when he least expected it.  
He would never be able to forgive himself for what had happened when he'd been small.  
Little did he know that something big awaited him.  
This soon to be Hero's name was Link.


	2. Chapter 1

Yesterday he'd given the jewel back to the woman. She'd smiled and thanked him with all her heart. Now he was wandering around Castle Town Plaza, in his own world. He had a day off from the Academy, he used it to brush off his training techniques. He was getting pretty good at the sword spin, but he often got dizzy so he kept practising and practising. Everyone said he was a natural at fighting, but sometimes he didn't know if that was good or not. His life had changed a lot since he'd been small. He regretted all of it, telling himself that he could have saved the first man and that he could have rescued the little girl. It was too late now though, he had to put it behind him, but it was hard. He was always lingering on the past and not really thinking about the future. He did think about it sometimes, about how he was going to become a worthy knight, worthy of protecting Hyrule and its Princess. Princess Zelda... He'd seen her a few times, when she was testing the older pupils of the Academy. One day, when he was old enough and he advanced into the next class, she would test him. Her Royal Highness was also gifted with a sword. She'd learnt how to fight when she was very young, so she had been qualified as good enough to be able to train the 'Soon To Be Knights'. She was the same age as him, but she seemed very mature, too mature for her age. He rarely saw her smile. She looked like she had missed out on her childhood...

He came round to the Market Place in Hyrule. He often sold food for people and then brought them the money. Today, he was just going to shop and view the different items for himself. It felt good not having the burden of a lot of thoughts and problems on his shoulders. Villagers often came to talk to him if they had any worries. They trusted Link more than they trusted the actual qualified Knights. He felt honoured by their attention, but sometimes, he wished that he could be left alone for a few minutes. Today was that day. He could do whatever he wanted to, and no one could stop him. Unless an emergency Academy lesson was called, then he would have to attend.

His eyes glimmered as he spotted a fresh green pear, he'd been looking for a perfect one for a long long time. Another task he'd accepted. He looked at the price and sighed, it cost too much for him. But he couldn't just disappoint the villager who had been looking for one ever since his mother's death.

"Excuse me, Sir, is there anyway you could make that pear cheaper?" Link had walked over to the stall and had kindly asked the man whether or not he could lower the price.

"No can do I'm afraid, this is high quality pear." The shopkeeper saw Link's frown and quickly thought of a deal. "Tell you what, you get the woman from the stall over there to come talk to me and I'll give you that pear for free." Link beamed at the deal, he shook hands with the man and went over to the neighbouring stall. This one was made of newly cut brass and sold different kinds of sand. These pouches of sand were surely very expensive. The woman behind the stall had dark brown hair and brown eyes. She looked very comfortable with what she was doing. She was explaining every functionality of the Blue Sand. Link waited until the customer was gone before leaning over the counter and calling for her attention.

"Excuse me ma'am, do you mind going over to see the kind Sir who is selling a variety of fruit and vegetables? He wants to talk to you." The woman frowned and told the boy that she had no interest as to what the man had to say, that he was in love with her but she did not feel the same way. Link frowned and told her it was okay. The woman called him back right before he was out of earshot,

"Wait! Why didn't he come over to ask me himself?" Link answered her and told her about the deal he'd made with the man about the pear and it being too expensive. The woman with the brown eyes felt bad for him so she gave him all the money for the pear. Link smiled and told her that he was very grateful for her generosity. He walked back over to the man and gave him the money. He sighed and gave the pear to the eager young man.

"I'm sorry that I couldn't get her to come over... I really am." The old man smiled at him and replied in a sad voice,

"Don't worry yourself none about that. We're just two old ants who always bicker about everything. I'll get her to come and talk to me one day." The old man smiled at the young youth as he thanked him again and walked away.

Link felt rather awful for the old shopkeeper, he hadn't managed to keep with the deal. He wanted to help but he thought better. The old man would surely manage to whoo the woman into his loving arms.

Link walked over to a little house on the far side of Hyrule Field. The man who'd ordered the pear was a renown hunter, always on the demand for new animals and new products. He rather liked Link, but was going a bit crazy after the passing of his dear old mother. Sometimes, when Link stayed with him to keep him company, he'd start wailing about how he'd seen his mother being stabbed before his very eyes, which wasn't the case. His mother had died of an illness a few months ago in her bed. He hadn't gotten over it, but he was slowly losing consciousness over his actions. Instead of stabbing the rabbit that was lying on the ground, he'd stab the grass around him, before cursing at his mother's murderer.

He reached the door and shook the doorknob, alerting the man that he was here. He rarely had any visitors so it always took him awhile to answer the door. The house was made of polished bricks and windows with no glass. The slots had been made to put the windows in, but the man had preferred to keep it like that. He said he wanted nature to come in whenever it felt like it.

When he'd finally answered the door, he looked up at Link, who was taller than him, and gave him a hug. Something he always did.

"Aah! Link! You're here! You've come to see your friend, haven't you?" The man beamed at his only friend, who stood only centimetres away."Actually... I've come to give you the pear you badly wanted." Link took it out of his satchel and handed it to the man. When the man had grasped it, he smiled and started laughing like a maniac whilst jumping around and turning in circles.

"Thank you Link! You've made this wrinkly old hunter proud! Thank you" He gave Link another warm hug before going deep into his house, still laughing and jumping around before telling Link he could leave.

Link silently left and walked back to Castle Town. It was getting late and he needed a good rest before the Academy started up again the next day. He walked back to his house, right before he got to the door, someone came and grabbed him by the shirt.

"Link! Come on! The Princess is making an announcement!" Link trudged along until he could properly get back onto his feet. He ran alongside Fado who had grabbed him by the sleeve and tugged him along behind him. They got to the Central Square and saw Princess Zelda standing on the steps leading to the castle, she was escorted by two knights who seemed very serious about their job.

Princess Zelda looked around at the villagers and noticed the new arrivals, one had gone back to get his friend. She found his friend quite handsome, with his blonde hair and blue eyes. She got lost in thought before she was gently nudged in the hip by one of her knights. She cleared her throat and began talking in a loud, clear voice.

"People of Hyrule, I thank you for freeing your busy schedules to hear this important announcement." She quickly glanced at Link before averting her gaze back to the waiting crowd. "I have planned a Royal Ball for all the villagers of Hyrule, celebrating the fact that all the knights have come back victorious from a war with the Dark Forces. This Ball is also a training assignment for a select few young soon to be knights. They shall be given the job of securing the perimeter and guarding the ballroom itself. Anyone can attend and bring their own food as well." The Princess kept giving out more information and details about this event. A Royal Ball was quite rare and it was even less likely that the villagers of Hyrule would be given the pleasure of attending. Link badly wanted to be chosen to protect the Ball because it would give him the chance to prove that he could move on to the next class. The next thing the Princess announced were the names of the boys and men who would be picked to protect the Ball. She took out a parchment and started reading out the names. He knew all of them and generally felt happy for them. Link had lost all hope when she got to the bottom of the list when she called out his name,

"Link, who will be guarding the ballroom itself." She rolled up the parchment and told the knights to come up so that everybody could see them. She watched Link come up before the crowd burst into a series of applause, to encourage them. After a few moments, the crowd calmed down and the Princess told them that that was all and they could go back to their usual lives.

Zelda hesitated before walking up to Link before he could disappear out of sight. She touched him gently on the shoulder before speaking,

"Excuse me, do you think you could follow me to somewhere more private? I need to talk to you."


	3. Chapter 2

Link nodded and followed behind the Princess, unsure of what was happening. He felt rather nervous around her, but he also felt something different. He felt like he was drawn to her, by some unknown power. The Princess led her through the castle and into some of the many gardens. He could smell all the flowers and trees. The gardens were beautiful. Full of colour and different plants, blossoming in the Spring. They went through an arch covered with vines and made their way over to a stone bench. The Princess stood in front of it and gazed out to the view around her. She could see the little pond she spent a lot of time watching. Watching its movement and watching the insects jump around.

She looked at the Hylian before her, he had messy blond hair and clear blue eyes, he had the normal elf like ears and they were both pierced with a single blue hoop. She really found him very handsome.

Link looked at the Princess before him, she had beautiful blonde hair and blue eyes, like him. She wore a golden crown with a pink diamond in the centre. He found her incredibly beautiful.

"I'm sorry if I'm wasting your time, but I really do need to talk to you. You see, when I saw you arrive with your friend I felt..." Zelda paused, unsure of how to say this without sounding crazy. Link waited for her to continue, intrigued in whatever she had to say. Link could see she was having trouble telling him so he tried to help her,

"Go on, don't worry Your Highness, you're not wasting my time." Link smiled a sweet smile at her which somehow made the Princess blush. He had caught her off guard with his kind words.

"Oh... Umm... Okay, you don't have to be so formal with me. I may be a Princess but I'm only fifteen. Well then, let me try again. When you came I felt somehow drawn to you, as in due to a mysterious power... I don't know, did you feel it too?" Link nodded and they looked at each other, unsure of what to say.

"I have an idea of what it could be, give me your hand." Link put his hand out and she touched it with hers, as soon as they touched, they felt a weird powerful sensation and a light started glowing from their hands. It was a golden light which formed three triangles, but only two of them were bright. Zelda gasped and withdrew her hand from Link's.

"You... You have the Triforce of Courage!" Link looked at her with a quizzical expression on his face. He'd heard of the Triforce before but he didn't know much about it. How could he possibly have the Triforce of Courage?! He wasn't heroic or courageous or anything. There had to be a mistake. But then again, they both saw the light... It must have been their eyes. Zelda saw his expression and asked him if he'd heard of the Triforce.

"Not really... I'm not exactly familiar with the history of Hyrule so I wouldn't really know." Link felt really nervous all of a sudden. He was in the presence of the Princess and she felt 'drawn' to him. Which actually sounded weird. But he felt the same way. Zelda couldn't help but find it adorable that he was starting to blush. The next thing she did was unexpected,

"Come with me, let me show you something." She grabbed his hand and dragged him behind her. Her hand was cold but it felt nice. His hand was warm, but it felt nice.  
They entered a dark room so Zelda had to light a candle. All around them, you could see tapestries telling multitudes of stories. The one that Zelda brought him to was of a hero bathed in green and a beautiful Princess, behind them was a hideous monster. Above their heads were the three triangles which formed the Triforce. Two of them shone brightly whilst the last one had a darker light, probably meaning it belonged to the beast. The thing that Link found bizarre was that the Princess looked like Zelda and the hero resembled Link down to the last strand of hair. Zelda broke the silence by explaining to Link the history of the Triforce. Link listened attentively whilst the Princess got engrossed within the story. Once she'd finished, she showed him her own Triforce and explained that she was the bearer of the Triforce of Wisdom.

"This is why we felt drawn to each other, because of our Triforce pieces. I'm incredibly sorry if this all sounds weird to you but we are both destined to be part of the same story." Zelda smiled at him and he couldn't help but smile back, this was the first time he had seen her smile a smile that didn't look forced, it suited her.  
"Come with me, I need to give you something." Link followed again and they went up a long set of stairs, they went through corridors and took odd turns before arriving at what looked like Zelda's room. The Princess opened the door and motioned for Link to come in. She then closed and locked it behind him.

"I'm sorry if this all sounds and looks secretive, but I don't want anyone to know what we're doing." Zelda went to search for something, meanwhile Link looked at her room. It wasn't as big as he thought it would be, but it was well decorated. Her double bed was in a corner and her desk was on the opposite side of the room. Just beside it, was a set of double doors that led out to the balcony. It probably had an amazing view of the courtyard below.

Whilst some people had pictures of themselves and their family, her walls were only covered with paintings of nature and architectural designs. He wondered if she had painted them herself. They were all very well done, the texture was beautiful and the colours went well together. On the other side of the room, Link spotted a bookshelf and a dresser. The bookshelf was stuffed to the brim with books. He guessed she loved to read. Everything in her room was made of polished wood, except for the carpet, which had an image of the Triforce stitched on, and the walls, which were covered with the paintings and purple and pink strips of decorative paper which had been slung across the walls and the ceiling.

"There! I've found them." She came over to Link and gave him a set of green clothing. "Put them on, they are said to be the Hero's legendary outfit. Don't worry, they're clean." She winked and led him to her bathroom so that he could change in peace. She felt incredibly warm and stuffy so she went to open the doors that led to her balcony. A few minutes later, Link emerged in his new clothing. Zelda found it suited him very well, but something was missing, then she realised.

"There's something missing... Oh yes! You're missing the hat!" She went back to her drawers and found it. "Here you go" She leaned over and put it on his head, then he quickly adjusted it so it wouldn't be uncomfortable.

"Thank you, Your Highness. Are you sure I should be wearing this? I'm not much of a Hero." Zelda smiled and looked at him,

"Maybe not yet, but we've been chosen to be in a legendary story that shall be known throughout the generations to come... Goddesses! I'm so rude! I've forgotten to ask for your name!" Link told her his name and she smiled again. "The same name as the Legendary Hero. Just between the two of us, I really like that name." Link blushed again and smiled.

"So... You're going to be guarding the ballroom?"

"Yes, I guess I am. Who chose the people who would be guarding the ball?"

"I did. You might not have noticed me but I was watching all of the soldiers. The way you fight and defend. Some of them were very talented, like yourself, so I wanted them to move up to the next class."

"Then thank you very much for choosing me. It really is an honour. By the way, did you paint all of those images?" Zelda looked embarrassed but answered that it was indeed her who had painted them. "They're amazing."

"Thank you." For some reason, the two felt shy around each other. Normally, Zelda would have sounded very commanding and she would probably have already told Link that he was dismissed, but she still felt drawn to him in a way she couldn't describe. The same thing was happening for Link, except that he wasn't commanding, but he was pretty sure that he would never have started up a conversation with the Princess because she probably had other matters to attend to.

As time went by before the royal ball, the two grew close and somehow always seemed to bump into each other. Now they could talk for a long period of time before realising it. They started acting more like fifteen year olds than what they were supposed to be. The pair had had to grow up fast due to the inexplicable circumstances of their past, but now that they were with each other, they felt free and some of their stress melted away. Almost a whole year had gone by since their first encounter. The Ball was to be held in the next month so Zelda was busier, preparing all of the finishing touches.

Since the pair had grown incredibly close, Impa had noticed. Impa was Zelda's bodyguard but had been a sort of replacement for a mother. Zelda loved her dearly and Impa felt the same way. They didn't always show it at the same time though.

Impa had noticed the relationship between the Hero and the Princess, and sometimes wondered if they were falling in love, despite having only known each other for almost a whole year. Link was already sixteen and Zelda's sixteenth birthday was coming up. They had decided to make this ball part of her birthday, because two balls right after each other would be too expensive. Zelda didn't mind, she was just hoping she would be able to spend some of her birthday with Link. It would be hard since he was assigned as one of the guards, but she would try and at least talk to him.

Impa was getting worried because she was scared that they might do what young lovers do. She'd talked to Zelda about this sort of thing before she'd even met Link. Zelda had seemed disappointed that Impa would think such a thing and had told her that she would never do anything too rash until she was much older. The bodyguard hadn't been entirely convinced.


	4. Chapter 3

Tomorrow was finally the day of the ball. Every single inhabitant of Castle Town was alive with excitement and anticipation. Some of them knew about Link and Zelda, how close they were and how Link seemed to be Zelda's only friend. The Princess was going to have to dance with a boy her age and people were wondering if she was going to break the rules and dance with the knight. She wasn't allowed to dance with him because he was supposed to be guarding the ball. But the Princess was always very secretive and you never knew what she was thinking about.

Link had been given extra hours of training for this special task, he didn't want to disappoint anyone, especially Zelda. Zelda. They felt like best friends now. It had only been a year but it had been enough. Link didn't know what had happened! Zelda, who used to be calm, alone and quiet was now always happy to be around Link. He was glad, because they enjoyed the time they spent together. Link didn't know what he was going to offer Zelda for her birthday. He felt very stressed these days so he got on Epona and decided to go for a ride with her around Hyrule Field to clear his mind.

What would he get the Princess? He barely had any money so he wouldn't be able to afford anything good enough. He could always make something... But that would probably be a disaster. Epona galloped along and they came across a herd of horses, they were all of different colours. Brown, black, grey... But there was only one white horse. It was a splendid horse though, its white mane cascaded down its back, not a speck of dirt anywhere on its body. Suddenly, Link knew what Zelda's present was going to be.

Meanwhile, in her bedroom, Zelda was trying to choose what to wear for the ball. She looked down at the outfits she had laid down on her bed. Well... Which one would Link like? She really wanted Link to notice her at the ball, she didn't care about anyone else. Wait... What was she thinking?! Link and her were only friends, nothing more. Besides, he probably had a ton of girls who loved him because of his good looks and wonderful personality... Her thoughts trailed off and she completely forgot about her outfit until Impa came and knocked on her door.

"Oh... Who is it?" Impa answered and Zelda let her in.

"Have you picked out your outfit yet?" Impa admired the clothes strewn across her bed. The first one was a long sleeveless purple dress with a pair of white gloves. The second one was a short pink dress with no gloves and the third one was a medium sized purple and pink dress, with the Triforce stitched on.

"No, I haven't... Which one do you think Link would like?" Zelda had still been half stuck in her thoughts so the words had escaped her mouth without her noticing. Impa looked at her and scowled,

"Why would you care about what Link thinks you look like?" Zelda's bodyguard crossed her arms and looked at the Princess with anger clear across her face.

"Did I say that? I didn't mean to say it..." Impa looked at her and sighed, Zelda really was falling in love with Link. She wasn't going to yell at her, since she was about to turn seventeen and it was right before her birthday so instead she gave her a warning,

"Zelda, you know you are not allowed to fall in love with anyone except a Prince from a different land, to unite our two countries." Zelda hated this speech and finally spoke up, telling her she could fall in love with whomever she wanted and Impa could not control that. Impa grunted and left the Princess, hoping Link wasn't falling in love with Zelda as well.

"Finally, I have you!" Link laughed with satisfaction at the new horse he'd caught. It had taken him awhile since he hadn't wanted to hurt the horse. The mare neighed happily as Link gently rubbed her neck. Epona came over and started prodding the white horse, Link left them alone and started heading back to Hyrule. He hoped the two mares would become 'friends' since he was going to give the white horse to Zelda for her birthday. He hoped she would like the present since it had been a real bother to catch.

Once he'd gotten back to Hyrule, it was almost night. He decided he'd go to bed early so he could start training the new horse early in the morning before the start of the Ball. He got home and called Epona using some grass, a few minutes later he heard two horses come back, he led them into the pen and then went back to his house.

Zelda sat, awake, in her bed, thinking about her conversation with Impa. Was it true that she was falling in love with Link? He probably didn't feel the same way, so it didn't matter. She decided that she should get some rest, so that she would be alive and ready for the exciting day to come.

Impa was pacing around silently in her room, she had received a message from a King in a neighbouring country saying he wanted his son to marry Zelda, to unite the two countries. Impa knew the people from that place and she hated them. For one, the King's son was a coward and the King's daughter was an angry girl who intended on ruling the world. Secondly, no one who lived there was very nice and they were all rather selfish. She was definitely not going to let Zelda get involved with anyone from that place. Now she had to find a way to tell the King that they were not interested without angering him. The King had a very bad temper and was not to be messed with. If someone angered him, he would send out armies until he got what he wanted. After a few more minutes of deliberating with herself about the situation, she decided she was just going to write a letter saying that they were not interested and that Zelda had already found someone.

Link woke up the next day, dazed by his dream. He'd been with Zelda and the Dark Forces had come to get her. He'd tried to protect her but instead, a Dark version of himself had appeared. The Dark version of himself had started laughing and talking, but he hadn't been able to understand anything he'd said, since he'd been starting to wake up.

He got up, out of his bed and went to get himself some food at the market, trading some nice looking rocks he'd found in exchange for a little bit of food. Once he'd managed to get himself a sort of breakfast, which was a cup of milk, an apple and a strawberry, he sat down next to the two horses and ate. Epona started to nuzzle Link, expecting some food. The poor boy sighed and threw his apple on the floor. Once he'd finished, he had about an hour before he had to go get ready for the ball. He'd been asked to wear the Hero's clothing since everyone knew he was the bearer of the Triforce of Courage.

Zelda woke up later than usual, dazed by her dream. She'd been with Link and the Dark Forces had come to get him. She'd tried to protect him but instead, a Dark version of herself had appeared. The Dark version of herself had started laughing and talking, but she hadn't been able to understand anything she'd said, since she'd been starting to wake up.

She decided to get up and start getting ready for the next long hours of her life. The ball was going to be quite boring unless her plan worked, then it would be fun. But she'd probably get in a lot of trouble with Impa, she didn't actually mind that, which scared her. When she was younger, she would never have wanted to anger Impa, now she didn't mind. Maybe it was because she was starting to near adulthood.  
She went to her closet and got out the dress she'd decided to wear. It was the first one, the purple one with no sleeves. She had picked it because Impa had bought it for her one day. She found it to be a mesmerizing dress, full of intricate patterns sketched all over it. In the back of her mind, she hoped Link would find her nice in her dress.

Zelda had barely had enough time to get ready before the fanfares began, introducing the beginning of the ball.


	5. Chapter 4

Zelda stood on a raised platform, waiting to address the waiting crowd in front of her. She noticed Link, beside the huge double doors with another knight, guarding it from any intruders, like they had been requested to do. Link was in the green uniform she had given him one year ago, and the knight beside him stood in a matching outfit but his was blue. She couldn't help herself, Link looked incredibly handsome. The two knights each had a polished sword on their backs, just in case something happened.

Link looked at Zelda and thought she looked magnificent in her purple gown. It suited her body perfectly. She had her hair tied up in bun, but some of it had already escaped the elastic and was tumbling down her shoulders. He caught her looking at him and gave her a smile, which made her blush.

Once the crowd was quiet, the Princess walked up and gave a welcoming smile,

"Thank you all so much for attending this ball. It really is an honour and I hope I can all make your acquaintance if I haven't already. The food is unlimited, so enjoy yourselves. " The Princess curtsied and walked back down the platform. Some calm music started and suddenly, the room was full of loud, happy noises. Link saw Zelda go over to a rich looking man, in a general's uniform, he looked very proud. Link stood where he was, looking at people, making sure nothing weird was going on.

"Link?" The boy looked round to see Fado speaking to him, he was the knight who was guarding the door with him,

"Yes?" Link looked at him, waiting for him to speak.

"So... You have the Triforce of Courage?" Link looked down at his hand and sighed,

"Apparently so." Fado looked at him, surprised by his reaction,

"You don't look very pleased to have it. Shouldn't you be proud and honoured?" Link looked down and debated with himself whether or not he should tell him the reason he wasn't exactly pleased with having the Triforce of Courage.

"I am honoured, but I now know that if an evil force comes over to threaten Hyrule, I'll have to deal with it and people will believe that I can save them. But the problem is, I'm not even a fully trained Knight so I wouldn't know what to do!" Fado saw the worried expression on his friend's face and tried to comfort him,

"I'm sure the Hero before you said the same thing, but he still managed to save Hyrule. Besides, you have the Princess who can help you with her Wisdom piece." Link smiled inwardly at the thought of the Princess. He really liked her and he wanted to tell her that, but he would probably sound weird and she most _definitely _didn't like her that way. Besides, she probably had to marry a Prince and he was just the 'supposed' Hero with a Triforce piece. He decided that he would just keep his thoughts to himself.

"I'll leave you to your thoughts then." Fado smiled at Link and looked back at the Ball.

Link had been eyeing the ball when the Princess came over to him. He quickly told Fado that he saw some trouble brewing in the corner and sent him to deal with it.

"Hello Link, you look very handsome." Zelda smiled at his position, he'd been slumped against the wall and suddenly, he stood up straight and smiled back at her.

"And you look beautiful, Your Highness." Zelda scolded him for addressing her so formerly. Link chuckled and looked at her in a way that made her blush,

"Listen, Link... I was wondering if you wanted to dance with me? Because I have to dance with someone of my choice. We're not allowed but... the ball seems pretty safe, so I'm sure it's fine." Zelda had gotten closer to him as he started speaking,

"Are you sure this is a good-" Link was cut off as a man with a gruff voice announced that the Princess of Hyrule was now going to dance with the man of her choice. Zelda looked at Link with pleading eyes as the whole crowd turned to look at the two them. A soft tune started playing when Link finally bowed,

"Your Highness, care for a dance?" Zelda smiled at him and took hold of his extended hand. Link led her to the middle of the ballroom and whispered something into her ear as she put her hand on his shoulder and he took hold of her waist,

"I don't know how to dance." Zelda smiled up at him, considering he was taller by a few centimetres,

"Don't worry, just follow my lead." So that's what he did, they danced like they were meant for each other.

Meanwhile, Impa was at the back of the room, scowling. Zelda wasn't supposed to be dancing with Link, but everyone else thought they looked adorable together.

Once the song had finished, Zelda and Link walked over to a corner,

"I hope I didn't make you uncomfortable Link, if I did, I'm so sorry." Zelda was blushing a deep pink, making Link feel sorry for her. He took her hands in his, which made her look up,

"I felt rather nervous before because I'd never danced in my life but then it felt nice, oh, and you smell lovely." He'd added that comment on purpose to make her blush even redder. Link was about to kiss her cheek, ready to tell her how he actually felt when Fado stormed in, weary and out of breath,

"Your Highness, the Dark Forces have broken in, they're all around the castle." Zelda let go of Link's hands and turned towards the knight, a plan forming in her head,

"Quickly, evacuate the ballroom and take everyone to Kakariko Village." Fado nodded and started shouting out instructions to the people in the room.

The Academy General strode over to Link and Zelda and ordered Link to protect Zelda with his life. Link nodded and grabbed her hand, leading her away from the crowd of panicked people.

"Link! Where are we going? I can't abandon my people!" Zelda tried to free Link's grasp from her hand but she managed to no avail. Link pulled her along with him, down sets of stairs until he came to a series of corridors, he went to the left and they ran on, never stopping.

"I was trained to learn every single entry and exit of this castle from the top of my head. I was also instructed to protect you with my life, and last but not least, out of personal reasons, I wouldn't be able to live with myself if something happened to you. Besides, Fado has this under control." Link seemed sure of this so the Princess followed, not questioning him any farther, but still feeling bad about leaving her people.

They ran outside into the cold air. It was night so the moon was out and the stars were shining, high in the sky. As soon as the fresh air hit their faces, Link whistled for Epona. He didn't have time to think before he'd jumped onto Epona and pulled Zelda up behind him. She quickly grabbed his waist as he kicked Epona in the side, making her run off as a Bokoblin ran after them. Zelda was holding on so tight, she thought he was having trouble breathing. She loosened her grip and Link finally slowed down near a waterfall.

He surveyed their surroundings before jumping off Epona and helping Zelda down. He let Epona run off before telling Zelda to follow him. They entered a dark and mysterious forest, with no room for a horse. They stayed low and kept walking. The only sounds that could be heard were their quiet breathing and the rustle of leaves. Link slowed down, saying he'd heard something. Once the coast was clear, they started moving again. Link felt unsure about this, he knew he'd heard something, he just didn't know what and where.

There were fewer trees as they neared the clearing of the woods. They were about to step out when three Bokoblins jumped out of a bush, having waited for the perfect moment to jump out and surprise them.

Link quickly unsheathed his sword as one of the monsters slashed at him, he made a counter attack, cutting its arm off. It yelled in pain but before Link had had time to move, the second monster had jumped out and grabbed onto his leg making him trip on a twig and fall backwards. The thing was, there was a waterfall behind him, so he fell and Zelda tried to grab him but missed, and then the third Bokoblin pushed her, making them both fall into the icy waters below.


	6. Chapter 5

As the boy slammed into the waters below, he transformed into a wolf, something he hadn't done in a long time. It felt weird to feel so light and small. He quickly started swimming back to shore, thinking Zelda was still up in the forest. He shook himself free of water and started heading up the path to the forest above when something caught his eye. A blonde head bobbed up and out of the water and then back in. He realised it was Princess Zelda. He dove back in as a wolf and clung onto her dress. She kicked him in the stomach, thinking he was a monster. Link whimpered before turning back into a human. Zelda was about to hit him again when she saw his blue eyes. Link grabbed her and they swam out of the water. They started coughing and spitting out all the water.

"Link! There's a monster in the water, you have to get rid of him." Link grabbed her hand before she could do anything,

"Zelda, I'm that 'monster'." Zelda opened her eyes wide and gasped. Link transformed into a wolf in a matter of seconds, before nuzzling her legs, showing her that he really was 'Link'. Zelda leaned down and kissed the top of his wolf head. His blush would have been evident had he not been completely covered with fur. She stroked him a bit, his fur nice, soft and warm. After awhile he turned back into a human.

"I'm sorry Zelda, I didn't do a very good job of protecting you. I guess I failed my task." He looked away, guilt evident in his actions, he started running his hand through his hair, obviously nervous. Zelda looked at him and smiled,

"No Link, it's not your fault, we never could have expected any of that to happen. Don't blame yourself." Link nodded but Zelda knew he didn't believe what she had said. Link looked around, deciding on where they would be going next.

"We should try and head to Lake Hylia, it'll be less dangerous there." Zelda nodded and followed him as he grabbed a blade of grass. He blew the tune that Epona loved dearly and would come and find. A few minutes later, Epona came running towards them. Link stopped her and climbed up. Zelda was shivering from the cold so he pulled her up so she could sit in front of him. He put his strong arms around her and held his horse's reigns. Zelda sat back against him, letting their body heat merge.

Epona had been walking around for a few hours, when Zelda had fallen asleep against Link. They stopped to rest in a nearby cave with no monsters. It wasn't very deep, only about five metres. He laid Zelda down on a blanket he always kept with him. As soon as her head hat hit the soft feeling of the wool, she turned around and curled up into a ball, still freezing. Link didn't have anything to cover her so he just set about making a fire. He succeeded after a few tries, making him rather sleepy. They'd had a tiring day and Link really needed to get some sleep, but he couldn't just let the Princess unguarded. He managed to stay awake for a few more hours before the temptations of sleep overpowered him.

Zelda woke up at the break of dawn. She yawned and stretched her arms, feeling rather disoriented. The memories of the day before came flooding back to her ; the Bokoblin, Link turning into a wolf, falling asleep against Link... She looked around and found herself in a dark cave, with a fire that had previously died out. She noticed she was sitting on a blanket, which made her wonder if Link had given it to her. She looked around again and saw Link in a corner, sleeping.

She got up silently, trying not to wake the sleeping boy. Zelda went outside and found Epona braying noisily. Zelda walked over and started to pet her, making Epona look up. She kept rubbing Epona for a while until Link came up behind her,

"'Morning Princess." Link yawned and rubbed his eyes sleepily. Zelda turned round and offered him a good morning too.

"Are there any lakes or ponds around here? I'd like to rinse myself." Link thought a bit before answering,

"Well... I think I saw a river that flowed through the forest, but I think it would be too dangerous. Do you mind waiting until we get to Lake Hylia? Otherwise, we can look for something closer."

"Oh no, it's fine. I'm not in a rush. We can go to Lake Hylia." Link smiled and went to look for something in a pouch attached to Epona's saddle. He took out a bottle of milk and handed it to Zelda.

"Here, have this as a sort of breakfast. It's fresh, don't worry." Zelda drank a bit of the milk before handing it back to Link. He put it back in the bag and started preparing Epona for the journey. Once they were ready, Link helped Zelda climb onto the horse before climbing on himself. Zelda grabbed onto his torso and they set off.

It felt like the middle of the day when they got to Lake Hylia. The two had gotten bored and had started up a conversation about royalty. Zelda had tried to explain some of the rules to Link but he just couldn't remember any of it.

"You're unbelievable Link! How can you not remember that? It's so simple!" Link laughed and told her it was because he was part animal, which made him stupid. Zelda had snuggled up to Link at that point, putting her head on his shoulder,

"You're not stupid Link, you're actually rather intelligent."

"Thanks." Link had looked at her and smiled, making her blush like a tomato. They'd then gotten off the horse, their hair sticking to their faces. Zelda looked around and was stunned by the lake's beauty. The water was shimmering against the warmth of the sun. The water was surrounded by fresh, green vegetation. The Princess had never actually been here so she lent down and put her hand in the water, it was very refreshing.

"Do you mind if I clean myself quickly?" Link turned around and answered,

"'Course not." Zelda got in and rubbed off all the dirt she had accumulated onto her body. Once she was done, she quickly got dressed and told Link she'd finished. He turned round and looked at her swimming peacefully in the lake.

"My turn!" Link came over and dived in, splashing Zelda in the face. She swatted him with water before admiring his toned upper body. His shirt clung to his skin, revealing most of his stomach. He caught her staring so he swam up close, their faces centimetres away. The Princess's face was bright red, making Link come closer,

"'Like what you see?" He grinned, making her want to die of embarrassment.

"Cer - Certainly not! I was... Gazing at the view behind you." Link smiled and answered her mumbled up statement,

"Don't you mean to say that _I_ am the view?" Zelda's heart started beating faster as she tried to think of a sentence But it was too late, Link had caught her off guard and now all she could do was suffer the mortification of a punishment. Link smiled again and touched her cheeks with his wet hands, which made her look like a very ripe apple. Her heart started beating quickly and she suddenly started shaking. Before it became noticeable, Link slowly turned his head, leaned in whilst closing his eyes and made contact with her lips.

Zelda was stunned, she didn't know what to do, she'd never been kissed before but his lips felt so wonderful against hers. They were warm and she wanted the moment to last forever. But sadly, all good things must come to an end. He withdrew and smiled at her, making her heart flutter like a bird about to take flight.

"Zelda, I find you a beautiful young woman and every time I see you, I get nervous and I just want you to like me. I've fallen in love with the most magnificent living being on this world. I love you Zelda." Link had grabbed her hands and was rubbing her knuckles with his thumbs. Zelda was stunned, Link had admitted he loved her. She felt the same way but no words could come out of her mouth. Link misunderstood her silence and let go of her, disappointment in his eyes.

"I know... It's stupid and what I've just said and done was out of line. I'm so sorry Your Highness. I don't know what I was thinking. We should start heading back to Hyrule now." Link turned around, making Zelda panic,

"Wait!" Link stopped in his tracks, turning round. "I... I don't want you to go... I love you too Link." Link smiled, relief in his eyes. He grabbed her waist and pulled her closer to him, kissing her jaw. They stayed like that for a few minutes, Zelda's head on his shoulders, playing with his hair. The sun was hot on their backs, making them look like the sweetest couple in the world. The Hero smiled down at her and told her they really should be getting back to Hyrule. Zelda agreed, annoyed that he had let go of her. Link helped Zelda onto Epona and then climbed on himself. Zelda leaned against him and snuggled up, wrapping her arms around his waist. Link smiled and they set off.

A few hours went by before either one of them started talking,

"Link?" Zelda had been the first to speak.

"Hmm?"

"Do you mind if we keep our relationship a secret? It might be best if it stays a bit 'classified'." Zelda looked ahead, waiting for his reply,

"Who said we're in a relationship?"

"I - I thought that - since... We... Umm..." Zelda started blushing madly, loosening her grip on him.

"I'm only teasing you Zelda. There's no one I'd rather be with than you." Zelda sighed, making him grin.

"You're so mean. You made me panic there!" Link laughed and stopped Epona. He turned round to face the Princess.

"I know I am." Link put his hand on her neck and kissed her cheek softly, Zelda put her hand on his, enjoying the moment. Link leaned back, holding her hand.

"Why would you want to keep it a secret?" Zelda sighed and answered him, scared of his reaction.

"I'm almost seventeen, then I'll be eighteen and I will be forced to marry someone. Eighteen is rather young to get married, but that is not the point. The point is that I will have to marry royalty. It's not a law, but people would be very shocked since it is a tradition." Zelda looked down and Link lifted her chin up, making her look at him. Their blue eyes met and Zelda melted into his gaze,

"We have time before that happens. If it's not a law, then why don't you just change the tradition?" Zelda agreed to his logic and they set off for Hyrule again.

They'd been going for a few days now, taking casual stops in nearby villages. Both of them had been rather shy at first after their kiss at the lake but now they felt very comfortable around each other. They'd been taking detours to go back to Hyrule so that they could spend time together. They had both agreed to keep it a secret until Impa and Zelda had thought of a way to change the tradition without it looking too extravagant. They were currently residing in a small inn in Kakariko Village. Some people would shoot odd stares at the Princess standing rather close to a young man, others would just walk on by, without a care in the world.

One day, Link and Zelda were taking a stroll around Kakariko Village when they bumped into the most unexpected person, whom Link knew very well : Ilia.


	7. Chapter 6

"Link!" Ilia ran over to Link, excited to see him. Link had met Ilia when he was running as a wolf, he'd stopped at Ordon for awhile before setting off again. In that time, Ilia and Link had gotten very close to each other. Both of them had started developing feelings for each other before Link had left again, due to an uncomfortable presence in Ordon. Ilia still had feelings for him, but she didn't know about Link and Zelda's feelings towards each other.

Ilia stopped in her tracks once she'd spotted the Princess,

"Your Highness." Ilia curtsied and Zelda told her to call her Zelda, nothing posh. Ilia nodded and turned back to face Link,

"Link! It's so good to see you!" Ilia jumped into Link's arms, hugging him. Zelda felt like she hated the unexpected stranger. She knew she wasn't being very fair, but something inside her made her jealous.

"It's good to see you too, Ilia!" Link answered rather quietly, sensing the tension. Once Ilia had let go of Link, Zelda grabbed his hand, making Ilia annoyed.

"So... You two are a couple?" Ilia talked with bitter in her voice. Zelda decided to answer,

"Yes, we are." Ilia smiled coldly at Zelda and then turned her attention back to Link,

"Link, do you want to have dinner with me tonight? To catch up on everything? Alone?" Link didn't know what to answer but he told her he would, making Zelda seethe with anger.

"Bye Link! I can't wait 'till tonight..." Ilia winked at Link and ran off with a smug look on her face. Zelda turned round to face Link, she had to look up at him since he was taller,

"What were you thinking? You know what she wants to do!" Link looked at her calmly and smiled,

"I won't let her do anything, I'll make sure she doesn't get close to me. But we're just friends." Zelda wasn't sure she believed him but she let him kiss her cheek.

"I trust you Link." The Princess let go of his hand and went back to her room. Link was left alone to ponder over what he was going to say to Ilia. He had to make sure it didn't look like they were on a date. He'd finally made up his mind and decided to improvise.

Later that evening, Ilia came by to get Link. She'd put on a dress to try and impress him. But Link had barely noticed, the only person he found beautiful was his Zelda.  
He followed Ilia, saying goodbye to Zelda. They entered a quite empty bar, making this far more awkward than Link had anticipated.

"Let's sit here." Ilia pointed to a small table for two, where the two chairs were awfully close to each other. link slowly sat down and looked at the list of foods. He decided to take just a salad, Ilia took the same.

"So... Link, why did you leave Ordon? I really miss you." Ilia pouted and moved closer to the Hero.

"It's a long story that I don't feel like explaining." Ilia didn't bother to question him any farther because she knew there'd be no point.

"Okay, since we're very close, 'mind telling me why you chose to 'love' Zelda? I mean, people are always saying she's demanding and secretive." Ilia's words annoyed Link a lot so he didn't mind replying in a bitter voice,

"I don't mind telling you that Zelda is an amazing girl, she's your age Ilia. She's not demanding, and I've never heard anyone say that about her. If all you're going to talk about is your jealous rage about Zelda, then I'm not interested." Link's crystal blue eyes stared straight at her, unnerving her. She shuffled around a bit on her chair before answering,

"I'm not at all jealous! Why on earth would you think that?!" Link looked at her and grinned,

"Because I know you Ilia, you liked me in Ordon and I have to admit, I liked you too. But I've moved on and fallen in love with Zelda. Maybe you should try and find someone else." Ilia felt hurt by his words, and suddenly despised Zelda. She felt like the Princess had stolen the man she loved. Meanwhile, they'd both finished their salad and Link went up and gave the desired Rupees to the bartender. He came back to get Ilia, but she'd already gone. So he walked back to the inn.

"Hey Zelda. 'You here?" Zelda popped round the door and smiled at Link,

"Yes, I'm here, I was just trying something. I wouldn't recommend coming in though, it's a big mess."  
Link looked round the corner and smiled at the mess on the floor. he sighed in exasperation then chuckled,

"What were you doing?" Zelda blushed and revealed that she had been trying to create something out of magic.

"I'm not very good... People have tried to teach me but it doesn't always work out so well."  
Link pulled her into a tight hug and smiled,

"You do know you're perfect and I love you very much." They stayed like that for a few minutes, just enjoying each others company. They were content with it being just the two of them : the Hero and the Princess.

The next day, they'd left Kakariko Village and were finally heading back to the castle. Zelda knew very well that Impa was not going to be very pleased with their relationship and with the fact that they had stalled in other places.

They travelled for a few hours before finally arriving in Castle Town. Everyone was looking at them with a peculiar expression. They all noticed how Zelda was holding Link's hand. On the way back, they'd decided to not care about what people thought. That they would do whatever they wanted and no one could stop them, not even Impa.

As they got closer to the castle gate, Impa appeared before them, furious,

"Where have you been?! I've sent guards everywhere to look for you!" Impa was fuming when she turned to address Link,

"And you... What were you thinking? You were supposed to bring her back as soon as possible!" Link looked down and Zelda started arguing with Impa, about how it was their lives and they could do whatever they wanted. Impa sighed and grabbed her arm, tugging her into the castle. She was going to have a serious conversation with the Princess. Meanwhile, the Hero had left and gone home.

"Zelda... I know you like Link, but you know you can't be together, you have to marry a Prince. " Zelda stared at the Sheikah before her, she was right. Zelda couldn't contain the words that tumbled out of her mouth like a river,

"But... I-I love him!" Zelda's heart was shattering as she didn't see Impa change attitude. Impa noticed Zelda's face and softened.

"I know Zelda... But do you remember that promise you made so long ago to your mother?" The Princess gasped and suddenly remembered what had happened when her mum had been lying on the floor, awaiting her death...

_"Zelda... Promise me... This... Y-You'll marry a prince to... Make sure that... Hyrule lives on with a... A... A beautiful Queen..." She smiled at me one last time before she died in my arms. The life had left her eyes slowly, making me think I could have saved her._

_"I-I will Mother... I promise..." I burst into tears and cried until I felt completely numb. My father had died in battle, and now my mother had been murdered in front of me because she'd tried to save a little girl. People had crowded around and watched as their Queen went to join the Goddesses._

"I remember, Impa." Zelda stiffened and told herself she wouldn't fall for Link anymore. She would marry a prince and Hyrule would stay rich and in power. No one would starve like in the old days. She was being selfish and she wasn't being reasonable. She had to think of her country before herself. She had learned that the hard way when she was a child.

_"Zelda! Stop being so ridiculously selfish! You have to focus and learn how to be a proper princess! If you're not a good one, you'll fail Hyrule and all that your parents have done will have been for nothing!" Zelda was around the age of four and very ill. Her teacher was yelling at her. Insulting her because she couldn't keep her eyes open._

_"I-I'm sorry. Please stop yelling." Her teacher ignored her and kept yelling. Zelda had closed her eyes and then the worst had happened._

_"You ungrateful retch!" Her teacher had taken out an old punishment/torture equipment they used to use on horrible children. But that was long ago. They normally didn't exist anymore. The piece of metal would sear onto you an image of a bleeding Triforce, showing you were a disappointment to Hyrule._

_Zelda had tried so hard to get away but her teacher was a very strong man and had inserted the bleeding Triforce onto her shoulder._

Impa saw Zelda's pained expression,

"Are you okay?" Zelda suddenly looked up and wiped the tears from her eyes.

"I was just thinking about something." Zelda touched her shoulder unconsciously making Impa look at her with concern.

"Zelda...?" Impa walked over and looked at her shoulder. She stumbled backwards when she noticed the mark.

"Where did you get this?!" Zelda recalled her story to the Sheikah.

After she'd finished, Impa just stared at her and sighed,

"Why did you not tell anyone? Having a Princess bear this sign is treacherous. No one will believe your story."

Zelda sighed sadly and told her she knew perfectly well what would happen if someone saw that so that's why she kept it hidden. Impa shook her head sadly and smiled at Zelda.

"You'll be fine Zelda. You're a wonderful Princess who will make the best Queen that Hyrule has ever had. Your parents would be so proud of you." Zelda smiled meekly and asked to be dismissed.

She walked up to her room and shut the door behind her and decided to to something she hadn't done in a very long time.


End file.
